Arctic Amour
by SkinnyCynic
Summary: When Jack Frost realizes he's missing something in life, could Elsa provide the answer? Or, despite their similarities, are they still too different?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Okay, so this is my first FanFiction. I've always read them, but there really aren't any for this, so I decided I'd write my own. Hopefully it turns out well. Be kind to me!

**Disclaimer:** Disney owns anything Frozen related, DreamWorks owns anything Guardians related.

And now... **Arctic Amour.**

* * *

Jack Frost was flying about the world, bringing fun to all as he did. It was his normal job, being the Guardian of Fun, and he loved doing it. Most of the time. Of course, there's nothing like bring joy to others, but lately Jack had been feeling as though something were missing in his life. All the children of the world were like little siblings to him, and Santa, Sandy, Tooth and Bunny were his greatest friends. Yet somehow...seeing young couples enjoying the fun he brought made him envious. They were so in love. And he had been cheated out of that by an early demise.

As Jack flitted over a park in Vienna, a couple that were ice skating on a pond caught his eye. _Pfft. What could be so fun about being with just one other person?_ He wondered. _I'll show them._ And with a flick of his staff, he made the ice just a bit uneven so the boy would fall. Not so uneven that it would hurt the boy, but just enough that it would make him look stupid in front of his girlfriend.

Floating over the pond, Jack watched in anticipation as his harmless sabotage took place. The boy skated over the patch of ice, his leg began to wobble, and he fell, taking his girlfriend with him. Jack winced as he watched them both hit the ice, and then his eyes widened as he watched the girl start to giggle with glee.

"Oh, Jason, you're so clumsy! Even though you took me down with you, you somehow still managed to catch me!" she chuckled.

Jason smiled at the girl and hugged her close. "Of course, Mikaela. I'll always be here to catch you." Jack watched at Mikaela returned his sweet words with a kiss.

Frowning, Jack flew away fast and hard bringing cold, winds, and snow to the lands he passed over. "Now...now you can all feel how I feel! Cold, so cold!" he shouted as he flew. Why? Why all of a sudden was he feeling like this? He had no idea, not a single clue, and even the Man in the Moon wasn't giving him any clues. He started to slow down as he approached the frozen mountains of Norway.

The air was clear and crisp as he dodged mountain tops and trees. He would make sure the next town he came across felt his wrath. The other guardians would scold him for this, but who cares? What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. As he cleared the final mountain top, he came across his target town...and came to a screeching halt. This little town already had a powdery coating of snow around it, but that wasn't what stopped him. Tucked toward the back of the town was a palace coated in ice.

Struck speechless by the sight before him, Jack flew closer and set himself down outside the entrance to the small town. As he was observing from the outside a voice caught his attention. The voice was speaking to him. Well, more like shouting.

"Watch out buddy! Ice Man coming through!"

Diving aside, he watched as a blonde haired man on a sled carrying ice blocks wizzed by, pulled by a reindeer. Standing up, Jack brushed the snow from himself and proceeded with caution into to the town.

"Guess I'd better watch out for anymore 'ice men', whatever they are," he muttered to himself. As he glanced about the town he noticed the man who almost ran him over was chatting with a young woman in braids.

"Successful trip, eh, Kristoff?" she asked him.

"As you can see, it was very successful. And quick, thanks to your gift, Anna," he replied, and gave her a swift kiss. "Now, the queen and princess of this kingdom have given me the title of Ice Man, so if you'll stop bothering me, I have to get to work," he told her with a smirk.

"Well, the princess says that you can work later. You got the ice here, that's what matters. And I'm sure the queen won't mind," she said with a wink.

Without another word Anna grabbed Kristoff's hand and together they dashed off toward the fjord with the reindeer in hot pursuit. Shaking his head, Jack continued to walk the town. He was so tired of seeing love everywhere. It was all he noticed these days. As he walked he caught bits and pieces of people's conversations. How lovely Arendelle is this time of year, how adorable the princess and Ice Man were together, if the queen would ever marry. But still he couldn't figure out how this town had an ice palace. Could it just be an illusion? _I have to find out,_ Jack thought to himself.

As he strode up to the palace with purpose, he noticed that the palace was not, in fact, entirely made of ice, it merely had icy accents. And the courtyard...amazing! The ground of the courtyard was made of solid ice! With a grin, Jack started skating about the ice, showing off to all the others enjoying this wonder. He skidded to a halt in the center to observe the area, and stopped when his eyes hit the balcony.

There, standing at the edge of the balcony with her hands drapped gracefully over it, was a beautiful woman. She was pale, with platinum blonde hair braided off to the side, only a few shades darker than his own, and the most mesmerizing blue eyes he had ever seen. She was dressed in a blue gown that hugged every curve perfectly and easily told everyone she was someone of importance. She was the most beautiful creature Jack had ever seen.

He reluctantly looked away when he felt an elbow bump his arm, and looked down to see an older gentleman looking at him with a twinkle in his eye. "Aye, that's Queen Elsa, our Snow Queen. Pretty thing, isn't she?" he asked with a wink and a gesture at the queen.

"More than pretty..." Jack said without even realizing it. "Oh, um," he stuttered has he looked from the queen to the man. "Wait, did you say Snow Queen?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Aye lad, Snow Queen. Born with all the grace and beauty one could hope for in a queen, she was also given the gift of winter. She can make it snow and create ice, just by waving her hands around!" he said, waving his own hands as he did. "It gave us a fright at first, but once she learned to control it, we all came to enjoy it. After all, look at the beauty she can create," he said as he pointed up at the queen.

Sure enough, Elsa raised her hand and with a flourish, it began to snow softly. Jack's mouth dropped open. He had to meet the queen. She was not unlike him. He wondered idly if she too could fly, but decided it was more important to figure out how she could do this. "How can I meet the queen?" he asked the old man.

"Well laddie, there are several ways..." the man began, all the while Jack was listening and planning. Planning on how to meet this Snow Queen, planning on how to find out where she got her powers from. He would find out, no matter the cost.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Eek! Thank you, kind reviewers and to all that favorited this story! I love you all! Now onward, to Chapter 2!

**Disclaimer:** Disney owns anything Frozen related, DreamWorks owns anything Guardians related.

* * *

_This is it, Jack. Remember the plan!_ he reminded himself as he replayed the plan to himself in his head.

The old man he met yesterday-Peter, his name was-had informed Jack that he had arrived the day before the Winter Solstice. Being that Arendelle had a Snow Queen, the Winter Solstice was, naturally, important to her. Every year on the day of the Solstice, the royal family holds a grand ball in the palace. All are invited, and the queen and princess preside over it. Everyone is permitted to go up and speak to the queen, however due to the mass of people who want to do so, they only have a short moment to speak. The plan is for Peter to distract the princess, who helps move the crowd along, so that Jack may have longer to speak with the queen. If his plan succeeds, Jack hopes he can interest the queen enough for_ her _to seek _him _out.

_There's no way this can fail. _he thought to himself. _No one can resist my charm._ And with a grin and a pep in his step, he entered the palace and was shuffled into the ballroom with the other guests. It was packed, but it seemed as though the back doors were opened. Following some of the crowd in that direction, he saw that the outdoor patio had been transformed into an even larger, grandiose ballroom of ice, where, in the back on a dais, perched elegantly in a throne fit for a queen was...a snowman?

"What the hell? A snowman?" Jack asked aloud. Somehow, there by his side again was Peter, ready to answer his question. _Man, where did the guy come from?_

"Olaf, aye. He's the royal snowman, if you will. Her Royal Highness created him and the permanent cloud of snow over him. He was she and the princess' friend of sorts as children," he chuckled to himself. "Their Royal Highnesses should be here shortly lad, don't despair now." And with a quick wink, he dashed off towards the buffet table, leaving Jack standing by himself.

Jack shifted awkwardly from foot to foot as he watched the people milling about. He didn't know anyone here, aside from old man Peter. Suddenly, he felt something wet touch his cheek and drag upwards toward his hairline. Whipping his head to the side, he saw that there was a reindeer standing next to him, and that it had licked his face. "Argh!" he yelled and jumped back. But before he could say anything else, the girl from the other day was at his side.

"Oh, my gosh, I am so sorry!" she exclaimed as she clasped her hands in front of herself. "Sven! Where are you manners?! You can't just go up and lick guests! Honestly!" she huffed.

As she continued to scold Sven, Jack got to take a good look at her. She had strawberry-blonde hair with a peculiar platinum blonde streak that was braided in a crown around the front of her head, while the rest was braided into two more braids at the back of her head, and hung to her mid-back. She had dark blue eyes and her fair skin was dotted with freckles. She wore a ball gown with a deep blue skirt, a cerulean and cyan shaded sweetheart bodice with magenta lacing and long black sleeves. Her feet were covered, he suspected, by heels from the sound she made when she walked. Perhaps most distinguishable of all though was the small tiara that sat perched atop her head. _I am seriously under dressed._ he thought to himself as he looked away. After all, he was only wearing his brown pants and blue hoodie. He didn't even have shoes on!

"Hello? Earth to stranger!" the princess said as she waved her hand in front of his face. "Hi! I'm Anna of Arendelle! You must be new here. Welcome to town and thank you for coming to our little ball!" she said gleefully. Her smile was so wide, Jack was surprised that it didn't crack her face in half.

"Um, hello An-oh, um, Your Gra-uh, Your High-um, Princess," he stuttered. _Jack! What are you doing, you idiot?! Get it together!_ Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Hello, Princess Anna. I'm Jack F-of Burgess. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said with a slight bow.

She giggled a bit. "Is this your first time around royalty? No worries! We're just like other people. Anyway, I'm sorry about Sven. Sometimes he forgets his manners. Don't you, Sven?" she asked pointedly, looking towards the reindeer.

"'Yes, Anna. I'm sorry,'" Sven replied in a goofy voice. Jack's jaw dropped as he gawked at the animal. _It talks?! Where the hell am I?! _he thought in a panic. But then from behind the reindeer a tall man stepped forward. It was the man who almost ran him over the day prior. He was slender and muscular and was dressed in a gray long shirt and matching pants, a deep brown dress sweater tied at the waist with a red sash, and brown boots that were rounded at the toe. _For being an 'Ice Man', he's still better dressed than I am._ With his light brown eyes, blonde hair and freckled complexion to match Anna's, it was no wonder they were in love.

"Hey there, Feisty Pants. You know, your sister is looking for you. You two need to make your grand entrance soon," he told her, crossing his arms. "Meaning you should be back there. With your sister. Not out here. With the people," he said slowly while pointing his thumb towards the still-empty dais.

Furrowing her brows and crossing her arms, she pouted at him. "Oh, Kristoff, you don't need to talk to me like I'm a kid! I'm just not used to these formal engagements." And then with a quiet giggle, she whispered, "And you're only supposed to call me that in private!" Seeming to remember that she and Kristoff weren't alone, she quickly turned toward Jack as a light blush covered her cheeks.

"Oh! I'm sorry. That must have been awkward for you. Or awkward for me. Or maybe awkward-" she managed before Kristoff's hand covered her mouth. Rolling her eyes, she moved his hand and said, "Sorry again. This rude guy here is Kristoff, and we'd better get going. You two can talk later!" With a grin and a wave, she grabbed Kristoff's hand and began dragging him off, much like she did the day before. To Jack's immense relief, the reindeer followed.

Once the three were gone, Jack looked around the room for his partner in this plan, but couldn't seem to spot him. _Maybe he's in the other ballroom._ Jack was just about to go check when a trumpet sounded in the direction of the dais. When Jack turned around, there was a palace servant standing in front of it.

The snowman was still sitting on the throne as the trumpet sounded, and only jumped down when it had finished. Just as it looked like it was about to speak, a gust of icy wind that only Jack could discern blew the snowman off towards the side of the dais, where Sven was waiting. Olaf patted the reindeer's mane, then they both looked toward the servant as he began speaking.

"Gather 'round, dear guests! Their Royal Highnesses are about to make their grand entrances!" he proclaimed to the crown. _Finally! Time to put this plan into action._ He watched in anticipation as the servant moved aside and the grand entrance began.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Okay, so in response to a couple of questions on how people can se Jack: I'd like to believe that after the battle with Pitch in RotG & the children came to believe in Jack, that in turn, so did the rest of the world. However, being that it is entirely possible that there are still people that do not believe in Jack, I think of him as more than just the Guardian of Fun. He's a winter spirit also. That's how he was first described in the movie. So, my take on that, since he is a winter spirit and can control wind, snow and frost, is that, essentially, he **is** wind, snow and frost. Like the weather itself, sometimes it can be seen, and sometimes it cannot be seen.

I hope that helps clear up any confusion!

**Disclaimer:** Disney owns anything Frozen related, DreamWorks owns anything Guardians related.

* * *

As the servant stepped out from in front of the dais, Kristoff appeared from off to the side of it. He turned toward the crowd and gave a small wave and an embarrassed grin. Jack supposed that the sheer number of people made him feel anxious, but he would probably feel the same way if he were in Kristoff's place. Then, all of a sudden, several reindeer made of snow came trotting onto the dais. Jack's eyes widened as he watched them act like real animals, one nuzzling another and one stamping its hoof. They moved further along and he noticed they were pulling something. It was a magnificent sled made of snow, much like the snow reindeer were, however the snow sled was also encrusted with bits of ice, sparkling like thousands of crystals. It was breathtaking. Jack never knew that something so amazing could be created using just snow and ice.

Even more breathtaking though were the people in the sled. Princess Anna rode alongside her sister, looking just as cheerful as she was before, and was waving happily at the crowd. Elsa was more subdued, but was still smiling and looked happy herself. She was dressed in the same blue gown he has seen her in before, but it had many more ice crystals on it, making her shimmer every time she moved. Her hair was in its trademark side braid, and she too wore a tiara. Elsa's tiara was slightly bigger than Anna's, but not gaudy, and had a blue gem centered on it. The gem mirrored the blue of Elsa's eyes.

As the sled came to a stop at the center of the dais, Kristoff and the servant approached to help the women out. Anna, seemingly no more graceful than any non-royal, half-climbed, half-fell out of the sled into Kristoff's waiting arms. He seemed very used to it. _Must happen a lot... _Jack thought to himself. Elsa made her way out of the sled next, perfectly poised and elegant, the way anyone would expect a queen to be. As the others moved to either side of the dais, Queen Elsa stepped forward.

She smiled and said, "Welcome townspeople and visitors to Arendelle's annual Winter Solstice ball! Anna and I sincerely hope you all have a lovely time! Eat, drink and be merry. And now, without further ado, let the ball begin!" She began to wiggle her fingers at her sides, and as she did, the snow reindeer and sled began to shiver. With a flourish, she raised both arms up over her head and the sled and animals disintegrated and scattered across the room, covering everyone in a soft sprinkling of snow.

The crowd cheered as the queen stepped back and took a seat in her throne. Jack was amazed. He had never seen anyone wield the power of winter the way Elsa did, to create such beauty not only for her own enjoyment, but also for the enjoyment of others. Of course, Jack always tried to do the same thing, but it didn't always go exactly as planned. Thinking back to his little prank in Vienna, he grimaced._ Way to go, Frost. Great way to use your powers for enjoyment. _Despite the fact that the couple did get some enjoyment out of the fall, it wasn't meant to be that way.

Jack watched as people began to form a line that led up to the queen. He took his own place in line, looking about as he did. He hadn't seen Peter since the old man had run off to the buffet table. _That old coot better not have ditched me..._ Jack thought indignantly.

* * *

Elsa surveyed the people that were gathered in her ballroom of ice. Every year there were a few more people here. Word was slowly getting around that the Queen of Arendelle had a mystical gift. It was nice to see new people visiting the kingdom though. New people meant new opportunities for trade, for the people of Arendelle to branch out and experience new things. It was what Elsa wanted, even if having new people here made her nervous.

Thankfully, after she learned to control her powers, she no longer randomly turned things to ice. Occasionally if she had an outburst of fierce emotion, her control would slip a bit, but that happened so rarely these days.

Elsa rose as people began to line up to greet her. She plastered on the smile she reserved just for these kind of royal engagements. It wasn't that she wasn't happy. She was. She was happy that her powers were under control, that people finally understood her, that she didn't have to hide anymore. She was happy that Anna was happy, and that she had found the love of her life. Sure, she envied her sister a bit, but how could she not? She knew that, because of her powers, no man could ever really love her. And after what had happened with Hans, how could she really ever trust any man again? Even now, after everything Kristoff had done for herself and for Anna, she still had doubts about him. He had yet to give her a reason to doubt him, but it seemed almost involuntary.

As the people approached her and began to tell her random tidbits about their daily goings-on, she listened with a polite disinterest. She loved her people very much, and strived to do everything to make them happy. However, she couldn't help but to not be interested in their daily mundane tasks. None seemed to notice, though, as they were just happy to be close to their queen and to have a chance to speak to her. She only spoke to each person for a minute though, as Anna would help to shuffle them along so that each person would have their chance.

Elsa withheld a sigh as an elderly woman began rambling on about how she knitting a set a winter-wear for the sisters. Anna caught Elsa's look and hurried the woman along. The next person to approach Elsa caught her eye. She couldn't help but be a bit disturbed at his appearance. He was a young man with silvery-white hair, and clear blue eyes. His skin seemed unnaturally pale, even paler than her own. As if that weren't enough, he was wearing a frost-dusted blue hoodie, brown frayed pants and no shoes. Now, Elsa's wasn't normally one to judge, for she knew that not everyone could be as fortunate as she and her sister were, but everyone she had formally met before had always had shoes!

Even though internally she was freaking out a bit, the smile never slipped from her face. The man stood in front of her, but seemed frozen in time. She waited another moment for him to say something, but when he continued to remain silent, she decided to be the first to speak. "Hello..."

The young man's eyes widened. He opened his mouth and said, "Hi. Um, hello Your Majesty. I'm Jack F-...Jack." He stuck out his hand for her to take.

She raised her brow at his outstretched hand. Though she had much better control over her powers these days, she still shied away from touching people unless she absolutely has to. She didn't even touch her sister much, only to hug her on occasion. Elsa cleared her throat and said, "I'm sorry, I prefer not to shake hands. It's lovely to meet you, Jack. I assume you're visiting Arendelle?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I was flying over-I mean, not flying!" He gave an embarrassed laugh. "I meant passing by, and I saw the palace. It looks nice," he finished while rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Thank you. It's always nice to know my work is appreciated by more than just myself, my sister and my people. Enjoy your stay here," she said, effectively dismissing him.

Eyes wide again, he said, "But, wait-!" before he was yanked away by Anna.

Elsa gave her sister a sharp look. "Anna, please. You needn't be so forceful. Apologies, Jack. However, I do have others to attend to. Again, enjoy your stay," she said before turning back to the next person in the line.

Anna gave her new friend a smile. "It's okay, Elsa's always like that. She's so stuffy at these events! Just let it roll right off your back! Chances are you won't see her again anyway. She doesn't leave the palace very often, even though we keep the gates open now. I don't know why. I mean, we used to keep the gates closed all the time, but now...!" she was cut off as Kristoff covered her mouth.

Giving Jack a grin, he said, "Sorry about that, buddy. This one here likes to talk. Why don't you go eat or something. I'm sure Anna here will find you again later to annoy you." With that comment came a swift elbow to Kristoff's gut. He wheezed, "Bye," before he was elbowed again.

Elsa had watched this entire exchange go on and watched from the corner of her eye as the young man walked away, off towards a corner of the room. She felt a touch of remorse, for she could tell he had wanted to say more to her, and though her curiosity was indeed piqued, she found no reason why she should waste her time on him. He was merely a visiter. She would probably never see him again anyway. Despite that though, she couldn't help but notice he _was_ pretty cute. Shaking her head, she went back to greeting people, grateful that the line looked like it was finally coming to an end.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Oh, thank you for all the kind words, darling reviewers! I must say, when I see that there's a new review I get nervous, but then I read them and they make me smile. Glad you're all enjoying this story so far!

**Disclaimer:** Disney owns anything Frozen related, DreamWorks owns anything Guardians related.

* * *

Jack walked off to the corner of the ballroom, disappointed. Sure, he'd managed to speak to Elsa, but it was only for a fleeting moment. _Damn that old man..._ Jack thought angrily. He was supposed to have been there! He was supposed to have helped Jack! Where had he gone?! His eyes scanned the room several times for Peter, but he was nowhere to be found. _Could I have possibly imagined him...?_

Shaking his head, Jack sighed and leaned against the wall. Even though the wall was made of ice, it didn't feel cold to him. He only wished he could get Elsa's attention somehow. Obviously a display of his powers would be too much right now. He needed to wait for the right moment to show her that they had something in common. Currently, he figured all she thought of him was that he was a strange outsider that her sister had taken a liking to. And as he thought of Anna, she came striding over.

"Jack! Are you having fun? Oh, I am. I love these balls so much. You know the music should start soon. You should find someone to dance with. Speaking of dancing - Kristoff!" she bellowed, and the man in question walked briskly over.

"What is it, Anna? Something the matter?" he asked while appraising her.

"No, silly! I want you to dance with me!" she answered enthusiastically.

"You...want me...to dance...with you?" he snickered. "You must be crazy, Anna. You're so clumsy, you'll probably knock over half the dancers."

She crossed her arms as her face twisted into a pout. "Kristoff, that's so mean! You're exaggerating! I am not _that_ clumsy." Then with an evil glint in her eye, she turned to Jack. "You'll dance with me, won't you Jack?" she asked. And when he tried to politely decline, she just grabbed his hand and yanked him away towards the dance floor where the other couples were gathering. "Of course you will. You can't say no to the Princess of Arendelle, after all!" she said with a grin.

"But Kristoff said no to the Princess of Arendelle..." Jack said weakly.

Anna pretended not to hear him as they began dancing - awkwardly. True to Kristoff's words, Anna was a terribly clumsy woman, and her dancing showed as much. However, Jack's dancing was no better, and he was sure they both looked more like they were convulsing on the dance floor instead of dancing. It didn't stop Anna from making conversation though.

"Wow, your hands are so cold. You must have been leaning against the wall for too long. They can have that effect, I know. So you said you were from a town called Burgess, right? Where is that? I've only been out of the kingdom once, and that was only to go into the mountains to find my sister," she told him, as she waited patiently for his answer.

"Well," Jack began, "Burgess is in Pennsylvania in the United States. It's warmer there than it is here, but there are winters there too. You said you had to find your sister in the mountains?"

"Yeah. A few years ago I kind of...made her freeze Arendelle. You know, in an eternal winter kind of thing. After that she ran off into the mountains and created this amazing ice palace to live in on top of the highest mountain away from everyone. But Kristoff and I went to get her back, and eventually we did! Some stuff happened along the way, but that's not really important. The important part was that we brought Elsa back!" she said triumphantly.

Hearing a rough cough from behind her, she quickly added, "Oh, and meeting Kristoff! That was important too!" And with a quick turn of her head, she gave a guilty grin to Kristoff. "Oops," she giggled.

Despite what Kristoff had said about not dancing with Anna, he held his hand out to her in a silent offering. She took it without a second glance a Jack, completely enamoured by Kristoff. As they twirled away into the throng of other dancing couples, Jack resumed his place against the wall.

So, Elsa had frozen Arendelle and cursed it with an eternal winter, but was somehow able to reverse it and learn to control her powers in only a matter of a few years. Looking towards said queen, Jack was in awe. Not only was she the most beautiful creature he had ever beheld, but she was able to control and master her powers in only a matter of a few years. It had taken Jack at least a hundred years to get used to and understand his own powers. There was another thing he added to the list of conversation topics he could have with the queen...if he ever got the chance of conversing with her, that is.

He wondered if he would be able to just approach her. _Of course not, you idiot._ he thought thought to himself. _You're just a lowly commoner to her._ Then Anna and Kristoff caught his eye. Kristoff must have been a commoner also at one point; after all, Anna hadn't introduced him as Prince Kristoff. _Maybe if I can get in good with Anna, I can get another shot at talking to Elsa. _

A dastardly grin spread across his face as he thought of the possibilities. Then remembering Peter, he made a steely resolve to himself. _No help from anyone else this time._

* * *

Elsa watched the goings-on of the ball from her throne. Her people were dancing and eating merrily, Sven and Olaf were doing some sort of reindeer-snowman dance next to the dais, and Anna was dancing and talking animatedly to the strange man with no shoes. She couldn't tell what they were talking about, only that Anna looked simultaneously happy, then serious, then sheepish, while the bare-foot young man looked simply curious. She wondered fleetingly if the reason he looked so curious was because Anna was telling him about her, but then swiftly dismissed it.

True enough, most were curious about the queen when they came to town, however most didn't linger on thoughts about her because of her powers. They were either awed by her, or feared her after the general curiosity wore off and then knew of her powers. Even the men that would wander into town now and then were never completely taken by her. Yes, they were attracted to her because of her beauty, but none dared try to know her personally. Not that she would let them anyway, after the Hans incident, but it still stung nonetheless. She may have special powers, but she was still human. Still a woman.

She frowned as she watched Kristoff sweep Anna around the dance floor. She could tell how in love they were. The whole town could. Even strangers could. Elsa knew sooner or later she would have to deal a proposal from one or the other for marriage. She involuntarily shuddered, her mind going back to when Anna had wanted to marry Hans. Oh, she had been so wrong then, and Elsa had been so right. They had only known each other for five minutes, and all Hans had wanted was to rule his own kingdom. She highly doubted that Kristoff would turn out to have some dark ulterior motive, but she was still wary. How could Anna think Elsa would let her marry after that? Perhaps she could talk Anna into simply being Kristoff's girlfriend until he could prove himself to Elsa. Looking again at the love in Anna's eyes, she doubted it.

With a sigh, Elsa again took stock of the room. Everyone seemed so happy. Everyone but...the young man. _Oh my, what was his name again? John? Jasper? Jake? _she wondered. For the life of her, she simply could not remember his name. Anna would surely know. And although she knew that she should snuff out this pointless curiosity, she couldn't. Against her better judgement, she wanted to get to know him better. But, no. She knew she couldn't. Learn his name? Fine. Learn what his conversation with Anna had been about? Acceptable. But anything more than that? Out of the question.

_Don't let him in, don't let him see. Be the good girl, you always have to be. Conceal, don't feel, don't let him know... _Elsa instructed herself. And then, _Not this again._ And with another heavy sigh, she put a hand to her head. Life as queen would never be easy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **Your reviews make me happy. Thanks much! It was a winter wonderland here this morning, and I swear I could feel Jack Frost nipping at my nose. Very inspiring!

**Disclaimer:** Disney owns anything Frozen related, DreamWorks owns anything Guardians related.

* * *

Elsa looked back toward Anna just in time to see her sister giving her a knowing grin. _Did she catch me looking at him?!_ she questioned. Going for nonchalance, she gave Anna a gracious smile. When the song ended, she watched as her sister dodged this person and that in her attempt to run to the dais. Surprisingly, she didn't leave a trail of destruction behind her.

"Elsa..." she began, dragging the 'A' on Elsa's name out, "I saw who you were looking at."

"I was looking at no one in particular, Anna. I was surveying the room," Elsa returned with a snort.

"Ah-ah-ah," she said with a wag of her finger. "You were looking at Jack. I _saw_ you. And it wasn't just a glance! You were_ gazing_ at him." She said it with an accusatory tone.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she gave her sister a small glare. "Anna, no. It doesn't matter if I was looking at him or not. Which, for the record, I was _not_. But even if I was, there's no way. I'm the _Snow Queen_, for heaven's sake. I'm perfectly content with watching you and Kristoff. I don't need anyone."

"But Elsa, you just got over feeling like you had to be alone. I thought we showed you that you don't need to be alone. You can control your powers now. You've never frozen Sven or Kristoff or me when you've touched us. You never accidentally freeze anything anymore. That's why I don't know why you insist on not touching anyone. Just because you have a gift doesn't mean that someone can't love you," she finished sadly.

"Anna...-" Elsa began, but was swiftly cut off.

"What if Jack is the _one_? Then you'd be seriously missing out! I know for a fact he wants to talk to you!" she taunted. At this, Elsa's eyes widened. He wanted to talk to her? Seeing the look in her sister's eyes, Anna turned to the crowd with an evil glint in her eye.

Standing tall so her voice could be heard, she said, "Okay everyone! Once again, thank you on behalf of the queen and I for coming to our annual ball. I think it would be great to see something new this year, wouldn't you?"

She could see she had gotten Jack's attention, and with the murmured agreement of the crowd, she continued, "How about if our queen were to dance?! Yes, and I think her partner will be...you!" she shouted with a slender finger pointed in Jack's direction.

Elsa's jaw hit the floor, but she recovered quickly. After Anna moved aside, she gave her a stern look that said many things, the strongest being that they would have a talk later, and it would be none too pleasant for Anna. Looking back at her guests, she could see that they, too, were as surprised as she was, even the blue-eyed young man's mouth hung open._ Well, there's no helping it. I can't back out now._ she thought determinedly.

Striding to the front of the dais, she plastered a smile on her face and said, "Yes, I think I shall have a dance, but only one." She folded her hands in front of herself and waited as her partner made his way toward her.

* * *

Jack's feet almost seemed to move on their own as he approached the dais and the queen. _Okay Frost, __**don't**__ mess this up. You can do this. This might be your only chance. Now's the time to turn on the charm and sweep this queen off her feet._ he told himself bravely.

Upon reaching the stage, he gave a low bow and held his hand out. "Your Majesty." Smiling, he watched as she reached forward to take his hand. After what seemed like an eternity to Jack, but was bound to only have been a few seconds, their hands met and Jack felt like he had been shot. The contact had taken his breath away. The feeling was akin to having lava in his veins, though it was by no means unpleasant. It was something he'd never felt before upon touching another person. Looking into Elsa's eyes, he could see that she had felt it also, but she was hiding it much better than he. From behind Elsa he heard Anna say, "Play a waltz!" and he led the queen out to the center of the room. As she gathered up her dress, he took her waist, and again felt that strange sensation travel through him.

After about a minute of silence, Elsa spoke. "My, I would have expected your hands to be much colder after leaning against that wall for so long..." she began, "I beg your pardon, but what is your name again?"

Taking a deep breath, Jack summoned up every ounce of courage and charisma he had, and replied, "Jack, Your Majesty. Jack of Burgess." And he left it at that, figuring it was better for her to learn later that he was the spirit of winter.

"Ah, yes. Jack. Burgess is somewhere in the United States, is that right? What is it like?" she asked curiously.

"Well, Your Majesty, Burgess is a small town in Pennsylvania. It's much like any other small town in Pennsylvania. It gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter, and it snows occasionally. I don't live there anymore though, but I like to visit sometimes," he told her.

"I see," she replied. "Arendelle is much the same, though being farther north than your Burgess, our temperatures vary. And, I'm sure we get more snow than you. Are you traveling?"

"Yes, ma'am," he answered, "but I think I'm going to stay in town here a while. It seems nice here, and don't think Her Highness, the Princess would like it if I left so soon."

Elsa gave a nod and a small smile. "Well then, I do hope you enjoy your stay here. I may yet see you again, if you keep your company with Anna and Kristoff. And may I add, you are, surprisingly, a good dancer."

At that, Jack laughed aloud. "Your Majesty, you wound me! To be honest, I think the only reason I'm dancing this well is so that I don't embarrass myself in front of such a beautiful lady," he said, trying hard not to sound stupid. His comment had the desired effect though, as a light blush spread over Elsa's cheeks.

However, much to his chagrin, it was then that the song came to a close. Stepping away from each other, he followed Elsa's lead and gave a low bow as she gave a low curtsey. "Thank you for the dance," she said before making her way back to the dais. He watched he retreating form, already missing that feeling of warmth running through him from their contact.

After that dance, the ball went by uneventfully. Elsa didn't meet his eyes for the rest of the night, and when he did catch her looking at him, she would avert her eyes and blush lightly. Taking that as a good sign, Jack decided there would be no more he could do that day, and left the ball early.

"Maybe if I walk for a little while, I can find somewhere to stay..." he muttered to himself as he wandered the snowy streets of Arendelle.


End file.
